Flange lubricator or oiler



Mar. 13, 1923. 1,448,242

L. N. VINCENT FLANGE LUBRICATOR OR OILEH Filed May 25, 1922 1 I I 21 4 II 21 I 4 Q i l 'PTQQJZO 6 /2 72 p i I 15 r M -22 7 7 1.1 10

,jwuzntoz Law/X 151mm Patented Mar. 13, 1923.

UNITED STATES v ream PATENT, caries.

tours n. or WASHINGTON.

FLANGE Luna-mums; on OILER.

Original application filed September 30, i921, Serial no. 563,252.Divided and this application filed May 25, 1922. Serial 1%. 563,565.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS N. VINCENT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seattle, in the county of King, State of VVashing ton, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Flange Lubricators orOilers; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full clear, vandexactdescription of the invent'im1,-such as will enable others skilledin the cart to which it pertains to ma'ke and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in flange lubricators and moreparticularly to flange lubricators for use in lubricatingor oiling theflanges of wheels .of steam, electric and other cars and locomotives.

This application is a division of anapplication for patent filed by meon the 30th day of September, 1921, Serial No. 504,282, for flange oileror lubricator.

The invention consists in the several features and in the construction,combination and arrangement of such features as more fully hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

The object of the invention is to thoroughly lubricate the flanges ofWheels, especially when the wheels are travelling on the curved portionsof a track, as very little lubrication is required on the flanges whenon a straight track.

' A further object is to provide a flange lubricator which isautomatically operated and caused to feed lubricant to the flanges ofwheels'by means of the lateral or sidewisje movement or play of thetruck frame or engine frame from side-to side and also the lateral playor movement from sideto side of the wheels between the rails duringtheir travel on the track.

A further object is topro/vide a flange lubricator which is,automatically. operated and caused to supply or feed grease from thegrease cups to the flange lubricating means by means ofthe lateral orsidewise movement-or play of the truck frame from side to, side and alsothe lateral play or movement from side to side-of the heels-between therails during their travel on the track.

A further objectfis to; dispensewith all springs, weights. .orother s asfor e nozzles gains the fi nges otthe Wheel-S, which is a greatadvantage such deitiees are liable to get "out of order;-

-ally from the i A further object is to provide a flange lubricatorwhich operates automatically and requires no attention or care exceptthe keeping of the lubricant cups well supplied with lubricant. g

A further object is to provide va flange lubricator whichautomaticallyadjusts itself to the movement of the wheels in such manner that itsposition with relationto the wheels is always the same. i

A still furtherrob-ject is. tov provide a flange lubricator which issimple, inexpensive and durable in construction and easy and effectivein operation; 1

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1, is a front view in elevation.

'F'g. 2, is a sectional view,partly in eleva tion'. 5 I

Fig. 3,-is a top plan view of the means for adjusting the connecting rodof the rocker arms. i

In the drawings, in which similar reference characters denote similarparts throughout the several views, 1 represents the flange lubricatorwhich comprises two lubricant containers or grease cups 2 and 3connected or coupled together'by means of a tube or pipe 4:, which isadapted tobe secured and supported by a suitable bracket or brackets,not shown, on a carer locomotive.

Thelubricant containers 2 and 3 are each made, preferably, in threeparts, 5 .6 and 7 connected together by means of a short Vertical pipe8, and the-upper part 5 of each being provided with. a scr'ewcap orother closure 9.

A slidable or reciproca toryhollow plunger'10 is mounted in a bushing11, in the lower part '7 of each lubricant container, which is providedwith a nozzle 12 having a suitable anti-friction roller or wheel 13 inits outer end," and a sleeve 14 embraces the-hollow plunger 10. g

R-ocker.arms or levers 15 are provided each pivotally mounted on a pin17 extending through a bracket 18 which depends from a'hollow projection19 extending laterpart 6 of the lubricant'container. j The upper ends ofthe rocker arms15 are pivetally connected by means of a pin 20 toacen-nefcting o r coupling rod 21, which ea-tends through pipe 4,whilethe lower ends of the rocker arms are loosely mounted on a pin 22projecting laterally from the sleeve 14.

Although I have described the nozzles as being made of flexible rubber,they may be made of metal. covered with rubber or any other suitablematerial desired. 3 In order to provide means whereby the nozzles may beadjusted, with relation to the wheels being lubricated, the connectingrod 21 is screwthreaded at each end, as at 23 see Figure 3, into a block2%, and by screwing the same in or out of the block the nozzles will bemoved respectively toward or away from the wheels.

In use the flange lubricator is placed over and straddles the flanges ofa pair of wheels and is properly adjusted and then held in place bymeans of a suitable bracket carried by the car or locomotive in suchposition that the ends of the nozzles abut against the sides of theflanges of the wheels, the lubricant cups having been filled withlubricant, the reciprocating movement of the rocker arms, produced bythe lateral or sidewise movement or play of the engine or truck framefrom side to side, also the lateral play or movement from side to sideof the wheels, causes the hollow plungers or pipes to be reciprocated ormoved back and forth in the lower portions of the lubricant receptaclesor containers, and each inward movement of the plungers or pipes causesthe lubricant to be continuously forced through the hollow plunger-s andout through the ends of the nozzles onto the flanges of the wheels,while the outward movement of the plungers allows the lubricant to befed or moved downward in the lubricant containers in sufficient quantityto take the place of the lubricant which has been used, and by thecontinued lateral play of the engine or truck frame and wheels theplungers are caused to reciprocate or slide back and forth and theextent of movement of the plungers is regulated by the extent of lateralplay of the wheels.

The continuous turning or rotating of the wheels causes the lubricantfed to the flanges to be spread. all around the flanges of the wheels IThe constant jarring of the car or locomotive results in the continualpacking of the lubricant or grease in the containers.

As the lubrication of the flanges of the wheels is required mostly oncurves, when the wheels take the curve it will cause the flangelubricator to force the lubricant or greaseonto the flanges of thewheels and in turning the curve either to the right or to the left, asthe case may be, the side of the curved track where the lubricant isneeded will be the side lubricated, and when running on a straight trackthere will be suf- :flcient lateral motion or play of the engine ortruck frame and wheels to cause the lubricator to supply more or lesslubricant to the flanges.

I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the specificdetails of construction and arrangement as herein described andillustrated, as it is manifest that variations and modifications may bemade in the features of construction and arrangement 1n the adaptationof the device to various conditions of use without departing from thespirit and scope of my invention and improvements. I therefore reservethe right to all such variations and modifications: as properly fallwithin the scope of my invention and the terms of the following claims.

lVhat I claim is 1. In a flange lubricator for wheels, lubricantreceptacles, means for connecting said receptacles, slidable lubricantfeeding means, means pivoted to each of said receptacles for operatingsaid lubricant feeding means and means for inter-connecting said pivotedmeans, said lubricant feeding means adapted to contact with and beoperated by the flange of a wheel.

2. In a flange lubricator for wheels, lubri cant receptacles, hollowplungers or pipes slidable in said receptacles, and rocker arms pivotedto said receptacles and connected to said hollow plungers or pipes, eachof said hollow plungers adapted to contact with the flanges of a wheeland be reciprocated by the lateral movement or play of the engine ortruck frame and wheels.

3. In a flange lubricator for wheels, lubricant receptacles, each ofsaid receptacles having a hollow plunger or pipe mounted and slidabletherein and means pivoted tosaid receptacles and connected to saidhollow plungers or pipes, said pivoted means and plungers or pipes beingadapted to be reciprocated by the lateral movement .or play of theengine or truck frame and wheels.

l. In a flange lubricator for wheels, lubricant receptacles, hollowplungers or pipes slidable in said. receptacles, pivoted rocker armsconnected to said hollow plungers and a rod for connecting said rockerarms, said hollow plungers or pipes adapted to contact with and beoperated by the flange of wheel,

5, In a flange lubricator for wheels, lubricant receptacles, hollowplungers or pipes having nozzles for deliverlng lubricant, rocker arms,a rod pivotally connecting the upper ends of said rocker arms and thelower ends of said rocker arms pivoted to the'hollow plungers, saidhollow plungers or pipes adapted to contact with and be operated by theflange of a wheel.

6, In a flange lubricator for wheels, lubricant receptacles, hollowplungers or pipes m u ed and; slidable in said ll t een re ceptacles,brackets depending from said receptacles, rocker arms pivoted to saidbrackets and connected to said hollow plungers, and means for connectingsaid rocker arms, said hollow plungers or pipes adapted to contact withand be operated by the flange of a wheel.

7. In a flange lubricator for wheels, lubrcant receptacles connected bytubular means, lubricant feeding means mounted and slidable in saidlubricant receptacles, means pivoted to each of said receptacles andconnected to said tubular means, and means for connecting said pivotedmeans which extends through the said tubular means of the receptacle,said lubricant feeding means adapted to contact with and be operated bythe flange of a wheel.

8. In a flange lubricator for wheels, lubricant receptacles connected bytubular means,

hollow plungers mounted and slidable in said lubricant receptacles,brackets depending from said'receptacles, rocker arms pivoted on saidbrackets andhaving a connecting rod extending through said tubularmeans, said rocker arms and plungers adapted tobe reciprocated by thelateral movement or play of truck frame andthe wheels.

9. In a lubricator for-wheels, lubricant receptacles, means forconnecting said receptacles, slidable lubricant feeding'means hav- 'ingapin, means pivoted to each of said receptacles and engaging the saidpinand means for connecting said pivoted means,

said lubricant feeding means'adapted to contact with and be operated bythe flange of a wheel.

In testimony whereof I have aifixed my LOUIS N. VIN CENT.

signature.

